Richard Devereux is a member of Lansdown Poets and Bristol Stanza. His collection Bill tells the story of his grandfather, a soldier of World War One who fought on the Balkan front in northern Greece. Richard taught English in Athens and his knowledge of Greece inspires and informs much of his writing. His poems have appeared in several anthologies and on-line magazines.

Annika Brown, is 16 years old. She attends junior high school in Upstate New York. Annika has been writing poetry for about a year and has felt inspired by politics and current events as most of her work somehow relates to items in the news.

David Subacchi lives in Wales (UK) where he was born of Italian roots. He studied at the University of Liverpool and has 4 published collections of his English Language poetry: First Cut (2012), Hiding in Shadows (2014), Not Really a Stranger (2016) and A Terrible Beauty (2016) as well as a collection in Welsh: Eglwys Yng Nghremona (2016).

Des Mannay has won prizes and been shortlisted in 6 competitions, performed at 8 festivals, published in 8 magazines/blogs. His work has appeared in 15 poetry anthologies. Catch him on Facebook as "The stuff wot I wrote' Des Mannay - hooligan Poet". Twitter: @hooliganpoet

Bex Tate is passionate about pottering, young childrens' literature and black cats. She lived in the Basque country for two decades before moving to Mallorca. She is currently tinkering around with words in English and Spanish and growing the odd cauliflower.

Gil Hoy is a Boston poet and trial lawyer who is studying poetry at Boston University through its Evergreen program. Hoy received a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Boston University, an M.A. in Government from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He served as a Brookline, Massachusetts Selectman for four terms. Hoy’s poetry has appeared, most recently, in Ariel Chart, The Penmen Review, Right Hand Pointing/One Sentence Poems, The New Verse News and Clark Street Review.

Joshua Baumgarten is an ex-pat New Yorker living in Holland. He organises the Irrational Library evenings - nights of poetry, rock n roll and casual chaos, and performs as a Standup Spoken Word artist.

David Subacchi lives in Wales (UK) where he was born of Italian roots. He studied at the University of Liverpool and has 4 published collections of his English Language poetry: First Cut (2012), Hiding in Shadows (2014), Not Really a Stranger (2016) and A Terrible Beauty (2016) as well as a collection in Welsh: Eglwys Yng Nghremona (2016).

Earth wave

Sat on a bench the first warm day of the year

Teens cuddle a phone mangling songs

A car parked, windows right down

the Swan's game fast and loud on the radio

two men talk diesel and body work

A couple, he's always borrowing

never paying, she's always late, only saying

A girl whining pleasepleaseplease!

immense weight like a small town

being dragged deep under the ground

shuddering up through my soles, my seat

closer, louder, deeper

like next door's crashing through all around

but I'm out in the park, there's not even a wall

some forgotten old thing turns right under our feet

reminding us all of its uneasy sleep

then just in a moment, the earth snaps back

all quiet and still

but the waitress in the café doorway still chanting I'm too young to die

Dr Penny Shutt is a poet and psychiatrist from Cornwall. She writes about mental health, medicine and motherhood after recently becoming a foster mum to her nephew. Some of her poems can be found at www.pennyshutt.weebly.com and she tweets @drpennyshutt

Jackie Biggs has had poetry published in many magazines and anthologies, both print and online. Her first collection is The Spaces in Between (2015). She blogs at: The Spaces in Between. Twitter: @JackieNews

Luigi Pagano has published three collections of poems: ‘Idle Thoughts’, ’Reflections’ and ‘Poetry On Tap’. His work has been featured in ABCTales’ magazines,UKAuthors’ anthologies, Poetry24 and several other publications.

Joshua Baumgarten is an ex-pat New Yorker living in Holland. He organises the Irrational Library evenings - nights of poetry, rock n roll and casual chaos, and performs as a Standup Spoken Word artist.

Richard Devereux is a member of Lansdown Poets and Bristol Stanza. His collection Bill tells the story of his grandfather, a soldier of World War One who fought on the Balkan front in northern Greece. Richard taught English in Athens and his knowledge of Greece inspires and informs much of his writing. His poems have appeared in several anthologies and on-line magazines.

This country is not what it used to be.
These white folks just walk across
that damn landbridge from Europe.
They take all our best caves
And they decorate them with them
Horrible hand paintings.
They eat our Mammoths
And they even have the blasted cheek
To be eaten our Saber-toothed tigers!
I tell you I have had a enough!
I am joining the UPIP; the
The Prehistoric Inpendenance Party,
That will sort them lot out.
Just you see.

Judy Shepps Battle has been writing essays and poems long before retiring from being a psychotherapist and sociology professor. She is a New Jersey resident, addictions specialist, and freelance writer.

David Subacchi lives in Wales (UK) where he was born of Italian roots. He studied at the University of Liverpool and has 4 published collections of his English Language poetry: First Cut (2012), Hiding in Shadows (2014), Not Really a Stranger (2016) and A Terrible Beauty (2016) as well as a collection in Welsh: Eglwys Yng Nghremona (2016).

Amanda Derry joined a Creative Writing class, following a breakdown, which played a significant role in her recovery. She now embeds literacy skills into classes that she teaches. Amanda also runs the Facebook Group, I Love Writing.

Andrew Minhinnick is a fifty year old, unpublished scribbler. Work prevents him from dedicating as much time as he would like, to his writing. Nevertheless, he tries to pen something every day. His four unfinished novels and hundreds of poems tell the tale.

Padhraig Nolan is an Irish writer and native of Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, who now lives near Dún Laoghaire, where he works as a graphic designer, illustrator and visual artist. His poems have been published in a range of journals in Ireland and abroad. Padhraig exhibits his illustrations and paintings regularly, and was the featured artist in The Pickled Body - Issue 2.2: Loaded/Unloaded. Read a recent interview with him, at Studies in Arts and Humanities.